In OCT and endoscopy, an optical probe attached to an optical fiber is used to relay images from remote interior locations of the body to a user. The optical probe is housed in a hypotube, which in turn is contained within a guide tube, called an “inner lumen.” A torque coil is operably attached to an end of the hypotube and causes rotation of the hypotube and the optical probe therein within the inner lumen. The hypotube acts as a bearing for the rotation as well as a protective body for the relatively fragile miniature optics of the optical probe. The inner lumen is flexible so that it can be fed into an orifice of the body and be wended to a desired location within the body.
The flexure of the inner lumen is limited by the size of the conventional cylindrical hypotube. This in turn limits the functionality of the OCT or endoscopy system since a limited bending radius puts restrictions on where the inner lumen can be guided during its use when carrying out a procedure.